Exploring Breezewood, PA - Abandoned Tourist Trap Town 

I used to pass through Breezewood all the time as I headed from MD to Greensburg PA but it's worse now than I remember it. One big thing you missed, though, and that was the part of the story that tells you why things happened in Breezewood they way the did. It wasn't the lack of traffic on US30 (Lincoln Highway) that messed things up. It was Interstate 70, coming from Baltimore and DC. It connects to the PA Turnpike at Breezewood BUT not directly. The powers that be back when Interstate 70 was built determined that it had to stop at Breezewood, then they built a connection to the turnpike a half mile or so to the east, so that traffic actually HAD to go through Breezewood, in theory to keep its commercial value going. It was awful. As trucking deregulation came along, the truck traffic became unbearable. Instead of people stopping in Breezewood as they went from Interstate 70 to the turnpike, or the other way around, NOBODY stopped at Breezewood. You couldn't wait to get out of there. Take a look at a map and you will see what I mean. Personally, I would turn left where Interstate 70 stopped and take US 30 west to Greensburg instead of the turnpike. It was right along that route on Sept. 11, 2001 that Flight 93 came down. I was heading back to MD from Greensburg that day, heard about the crash, and found my way down to US 40 in MD to come back east. I didn't want to get caught up blocking any rescue efforts. I didn't know at the time that there was no one to rescue. It's on US30 west of Breezewood where the Flight 93 Memorial now stands.

Yep, it's insane, but when corporate American abandon's something they really abandon it. Just flat out leave and never touch the site again and never give a darn if it sits and rots and becomes a community eyesore forever. Corporate American does not clean up after itself.

In my late teens in 1969, I drove a number of miles from Six Mile Run to work as a waitress in the Howard Johnson's restaurant in Breezewood, PA. I wonder if there was Howard Johnson Motor Lodge there with a pool. Maybe not. I paid little attention to my surroundings in that town. So little that one day a man, who was loud and slurring his speech, and his wife came in. They were escorted to my area. He wanted an alcoholic beverage, and I told him we didn’t serve alcohol. He said, “What kind of a town is this?” I answered, “A dry one.” His wife said, “There! She told you!” When I told our hostess about the conversation, she told me that there was a Howard’s Johnsons’ bar right next door. I was glad I hadn’t noticed. I do remember the story that all the flavors of ice cream, that Howard Johnsons was famous for, were supposedly on the ceiling. When a customer ordered a shake, we’d put a couple of big scoops of the ice cream they wanted in a metal container and added a bit of milk. Then we attached the container to one of beaters that were part of a circular blender. Never did believe the story about the flavors being on the ceiling until one day a shake I was whipping up, flew off the beater and hit the ceiling. Sure enough! There were all the flavors on display up there for everyone to view. Apparently, the health department never noticed. One night just before closing, a tour bus pulled in. The Howard Johnson workers were devastated because we were hoping to be able to get a good start on the cleaning before we closed at midnight. The many passengers would put us way behind in our work. Didn’t seem fair. Several employees were grumbling. Turns out, it wasn’t a tour bus. It was Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, and they were escorted to one of my tables. I don’t remember anyone else coming in. And, I don’t remember what they ate. I do remember that Porter did all of the ordering and told me “what the lady would like.”

Our family would always stop there back in the sixties and early seventies. My father would always decide to either take the turnpike or old route up to Boswell Pennsylvania. A lot of great memories.

The first abandoned gas station you pointed out after the kebab place was a sheetz but when the former gas station that the current sheetz building is at went out of business they moved the business over for easier access. There was a kfc next to the taco bell/kebab place but that was bought out by the owners of the Gateway many years ago and then demolished. Between the kebab place and abandoned sheetz was a failed sports bar that was only open for about 2 years. At one point that abandoned Ramada was used/was going to be used as a place for documenting the history of the abandoned turnpike not too far down the road from breezewood, I can't remember when that happened but I saw signs for it when I was working at the quality inn across the street. The budget inn was burned and I believe it was because of some squatters occupying the building, I heard rumors of a meth lab but I can't verify if that was actually the cause. Had the unique opportunity of watching the building catch on fire from the Gateway during one of my shifts there. Really cool to see somewhere you live show up in other people's projects, awesome video.

Breezewood used to advertise itself as "The Town of Motels." As car transportation has improved, people travel farther and faster and the need to stop for the night midway through the state has waned. Hardees wasn't doing a lot of business before the fire. There's an abandoned Wendy's at the bottom of the hill below Bob Evans. A high volume of traffic comes in and out of Baltimore and DC on I-70. Holiday weekends can be insane. The turnpike commission should put in an EZ-Pass slip ramp to I-70 east, but that would almost completely kill the town. I live about 25 miles from here. It has been sad to see so much of it rot away...

You missed the abandoned Pennsylvania turnpike, known as the Ghost Road. The turnpike is over ten miles of great mountain bike riding with two tunnels through the mountains, bring lights as they are long...... It terminates at Breezewood and heads east, the tunnels have great two story tall rooms with air ducts and fans on a huge scale that kept the air clean in the tunnels, great to explore! We ate at the 1950's style diner before and loved it,,,, nice people.

I went through Breezewood many times in the 80's and it was a thriving commercial strip then. Sad to see what has happened to the town.

I'm kinda devastated seeing this. I've passed thru here as a kid all my childhood. Going from Maryland to Akron Ohio to visit family every thanksgiving during the 80s-90s. One of the first places I seen a Sheetz 20+years ago. All the cool Big Rigs and shady motels and neon lights. I'll never forget!

Some friends of mine lived in that dilapidated "Strip" motel, there used to be a Denny's across the street from it. They had cheap week rates & it was basically like efficiency living for a bunch of junkies & people that had just got out of jail.

I used to travel through here once a month from pittsburgh to northern Virginia when my father was still living. This brings back many memories for me.

I'm sorry to see the diner closed. The food was good there in it's several versions. I believe the last time I ate there it was a Denny's. That was one of three restaurants we used to frequent on our visits to The Juniata Trading Post sporting goods store just a few miles West from there on Route US Route 30. I haven't been back to see Jerry and the gang since I've become disabled. It's sad to see Breezewood in such bad conditions. It used to be an oasis for travelers off the PA Turnpike since the 40s and later I-70 junction.

Just stopped in Breezewood for gas on a road trip and recognized the chrome diner from your video! So crazy how it looks like they just up and left in the middle of a lunch rush. Used plates with food still on them, used cups and silverware. Very creepy! Unfortunately the diner neon sign is gone. What a cool little place though!

The abandoned Ramada Inn was originally a Holiday Inn....opened in the early 60's.....The Ramada Inn had an excellent Sunday Brunch back in the mid 70's !

I wondered where the Hardee's dissapeared to when i drove through in June of this year. Sad I didn't know it burnt down. The diner was a Denny's at one time. I ate there with my kids in 2014. Also they tore that old motel down now. I remember when I was a kid Breezewood was a bustling stop in the late 70's and 80's even into the 90's for a bit. I still love going through Breezewoid regardless. I'm always passing through heading to Meyersdale or Somerset Pa.

I’m from Pittsburgh and I was stationed at fort Meade, Maryland for years. I stopped in breezewood dozens of times!

Sorry to see Breezewood in such decline. I once traveled a territory for a job that included Breezewood. I also frequently float fished the nearby Raystown Branch of the Juniata River and have fond memories there. I still have a hat from the Juniata Trading Post off Rt. 30.

I remember stopping here with folks traveling thru here in 1960's, as a kid, we stopped here, ate lunch. Traveling from Ohio to Washington DC. I remember then, was very nice area.

Used to pass through here while I was in the Navy, driving from Norfolk VA to Youngstown OH.

Breezewood used to be my favorite place to pass through when going from Detroit to Martinsburg WV to visit my grandparents a few times a year. Always loved seeing how colorfull it used to be especially at night with all the lights. A shame what it looks like now but I still make sure to stop their everytime I visit still holding on to some of my fav childhood memories. Nice to see it was like that for a lot of others too.

The Gateway Travel Plaza had the last operating Radio Shack on the upper level until just a couple years ago. The demolished building in the hotel across the street was the hotel's bar and restaurant, until a kitchen fire burned the interior up about 4 years ago. There used to be a nice old guy working there named Tom. I used to stop there and chatt with him when I passed through. When the Flying J truck stop closed, or at least closed it's parking I stopped going to Breezewood. I have stopped at the Gateway Travel Plaza a couple of times, out of desperation, since then, but it's no longer a place I try to take a day off as a truck driver. 10 years ago it was one of my favorite places to spend the weekend. I miss Breezewood the way it was.

Ray,it's always a pleasure to explore these places with you, thank you for sharing!

Back in 93 I had to go out on a road call to unfreeze a fuel crossover line on a Ford Louisville. Out on the turnpike and I had to shovel the snow out from under it first. Froze my rear off! Don't miss those days!

I remember seeing it in the 70's and 80's visting my grandparents. I remember lots of colorful signs at night sort of thought it was a massive trucker stop!

I have not traveled through there since the pandemic until this last summer (2023) and the gateway plaza had changed and Dairy Queen was gone which surprised me. It had been there as long as I could remember and I used to pass through all the time as I am from DC and when to school in Pittsburgh in the 90s.

I used to be a bus driver for cleveland southeastern-and we would fuel up there, and drop off my people to eat at one of the restaurants.wow,you cant even recognize the town any more.so sad.

Hi Ray That was a great explore sad to see those motels in that state that were probably once great placed to stay hopefully that Ramada hotel gets a re build always enjoy your videos!

As a young child my Mom and I would take the Gray Hound bus from Buffalo to Indiana PA (Our Hometown) . Dubus was a rest stop for the bus. Was a great place to stop. What a shame it has fallen inyo disaray. Thanks for the memories

Until the 90’s, the turnpike rest stops (in terms of food) were awful, you would use the restrooms and grab a drink. Breezewood would have the huge buffets for the greyhound bus lines. It was the place for an enjoyable stop before getting back on the turnpike.

The gateway plaza you started in has an office upstairs for a wonderful chaplain who serves “travelers” in need of food, direction, shower kits, prayer, etc. I moved nearby from NJ, and I am continually surprised by what life you can find in these places if you know where to look.

Breezewood! Use to stop there with my big truck back in the day.

Truly well done. I've stopped here before and checked it out. Never noticed the Steak Buffet sign before. The Penn Air motel always creeped me out. A few years ago I stayed at the Lincoln Motor Court not far from here and biked the first abandoned tunnel out of breezewood. Whole thing feels like a mid century ruin now. Soon it may just be cornfields again. Also recommend the Horn O plenty restaurant nearby.

The best days of this town are long gone. It seems like this area has had some bad luck with fires as well. Pretty cool area to explore.

Awwww the shoe bandit hits again. I wish he would come to my wife’s closet 😂😂😂

My son and I got stuck spending the night there because we were exhausted (June 4, 2022) and it was getting dark (we had to go through the mountains) and it was the worst place we have ever stayed. We stayed in the motel right behind the Hardy's, nasty place, but it was the only place available. I feel sorry for the people who lived there and are stuck there. We only have another hour to go, but were unaware of that at the time.

Breezewood was the first stop for me every year traveling with my grandma to drop me off at my grandfathers house in Indianapolis every summer coming from DC. I would get excited because that was always the first “grandma I’m hungry!” Stop lol sad to heard that Hardee’s burned down . That or McDonald’s were my go to. It was a super rest stop before those places were in abundance. Great memories of getting truckers to honk their horn for us too lol

Thanks for posting this one Ray. I must have missed when you uploaded it months ago. We used to stop here when traveling from Pittsburgh to the shore and southeast. I wish I would have been into filming back then and captured all this stuff as it was dying and rebuilding. Fall is a awesome time in central and western PA.

Wow! So many abandoned places in one town. That diner looked super cool. We enjoy your videos! Have you ever done Steam Town Mall in Scranton, PA? Directly next to a train museum. And a trolley museum across from that.

Great great video Ray. I was told Breezewood had a lot of arson fires

I'm always fascinated by back roads, abandoned towns and old stuff. I guess I read Blue Highways too much as a kid back in the early 80s...

I grew up on the east side of Pittsburgh. An early 1960s Sunday afternoon family adventure was a drive east on US30 to Breezewood, and a dinner at Howard Johnson's there.

We stayed at that Ramada back in the 80's. It did have an indoor pool and it was a beautiful Hotel.

Oh yay! Ray taking us on a tour! Love it! 🥰🥰🥰

I always get off the interstate before breezewood when coming up from Hancock . Miss the big traffic jams that way

When I was a little kid my family would go through Breezewood on our way to Pittsburgh .. nice walk through memory lane.. thank you

This would be PennDOT's chance to finally make the connection from the PA turnpike to I-70 an actual freeway.

We stayed in Breezewood the night we moved to PA, 20 OCT 2006. We ate at the diner. I took a picture of our oldest boy (16) hugging his sister (8) while sitting against the wall at the table on the right at 8:57. It was indeed a nice place to eat.

I always watch videos like this about places I have never seen or been. driven through and past Breezewood many times. surreal

I did a large portion of the Lincoln Highway a few years ago, it needs to be promoted the same way as route 66 , it is possible to save this historic road with the right intent

The retro diner by the ExxonMobil was at one time a Dennys Restaurant. They built that Dennys Diner concept for a few years in the early 2000s

9:28 This was a Ramada with a restaurant in it. Stayed there back in the day, early-mid 2000s I remember it pretty well. Up on a hill and carpeted floors, the restaurant served breakfast. It was nice back in the day.

The Diner has that "PBS nostalgia" feel from about 20 years ago. They had a Pa. based show "Things That Aren't There Anymore". Lots of people tried to revamp old diners and stuff ( about the same time Indian motorcycle tried a come back).

I just stumbled upon this video. The diner is just mind blowing. It looks a lot like the Denny's in Medina, Ohio. Great tour.

I’ve driven to this town but never stopped. Might have to stop here one day. Cool video.

I stayed there once back in 2005. I believe it was the days inn. The town was still lively back then. I remember the food being pretty good as well. It's sad to see in such sad shape.

That retro diner was a Denny's. It was remodeled in the mid-2000s. My grandparents live in Ephrata and I come through Breezewood several times a year so this was a really cool video.

Way back in the early '80s we stayed in Breezewood while we were on our way across Pennsylvania. We were headed to Allentown to attend my college roommate's wedding. Amazingly ... the Quality Inn we stayed at is still in operation. And, still owned by the same family. From the pictures I recently saw on TripAdvisor, the place is still in really good shape.

Dude, think about doing an exhibition. 3:42 is a GORGEOUS composition. Mix one part Americana, one part Bauhaus, and two parts Wabi and Sabi, and boom. Art.

when the interstate from the south was build the pols in Pa. would not allow a direct connection to the Pa. turnpike so breezewood would not lose the traffic and business

That diner reminds me of the one in Blairstown, NJ. I think the one in Budd Lake also kinda had that 50s look.

Growing up, we passed through Breezewood twice a year on the way from home in Delaware and my grandparents in Altoona. At that time there was no I-99 from Bedford, so Breezewood was the most direct exit. I loved the last hour between Breezewood and Altoona, passing through all the small towns. I remember going westbound the approach to the Breezewood exit was an overlook over the town. When I was in high school, Bob Seger put out his "Stranger in Town" album, with Bob posed on top of a mountain overlooking Hollywood. I always thought about staging a photo shoot with me overlooking Breezewood with the "Breezewood: Town of Motels" sign, and the caption "Stranger in Town?"

Got a hoodie in that gift shop! Stop in breeze wood all the time going up to Pittsburgh! Never paid attention to the abandoned buildings

Back in the early 70's, we always stopped here, I remember as kids we got very exited after hours on the road. It was so alive then.

I'm originally from Altoona and used to travel through Breezewood a lot in the 1980s. I believe the diner was actually a Denny's at one time. The spot where Sheetz is used to be the Family House Restaurant. Good memories.

My childhood memories of stopping here on our way to Atlantic City in the 60’s, Haven’t been there since 1972, it looks so different!

The abandoned Diner was a Dennys. I ate there 8-9 years ago and got sick as hell.

i have a place near there and remember bwood in its heyday. if you would have went down south breezewood rd along rt 70 you would have seen all the little retro motelettes rotting away. i remember when you had to reserve a room a year in advance on thanksgiving weekend because of the influx of hunters. those animal heads came from crawfords wildlife museum which was in or near the same building. bwood was open 24x7 and you could always get a good meal.

The stainless diner looks like one of the ones made by Starlite Diners in Florida. There is one in Fairmont, WV (D.J.'s Diner) that is narrower, but has the same glass block corners, glass block booth ends, and general indoor decor and color scheme.

I been in Breezywood as we call it a million times when I drove a truck

Love this area. Been going here and driving through since about 2007 or so

Breezewood, Pennsylvania is the site of an abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which was bypassed in the late 1960s. The 13-mile stretch of the turnpike was abandoned after a study determined that it was more economical to bypass three tunnels and a travel plaza, and instead expand four other tunnels. The bypassed section is now known as the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike, and the tunnels remain unlit and unimproved.

Live about 20 minutes south of here, have my whole life. Drove up last Saturday to get dinner from the Bob Evans in fact. That retro diner was a pretty good Denny's way back when. I should try that kabob place one of these days. It's a shame so much has gone out of business but what's there is still pretty convenient for the folks that live out in the hills around the place. Gateway used to have a pretty alright restaurant on the first floor, and a bigger arcade up on the second.

When I was in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk Breezewood would be the halfway mark traveling between Virginia and Michigan. Back in 1986-1990 it was a pretty nice place to stay overnight but in 2015 while passing through a lot of businesses were out of business.

We used Breezewood as a Turnpike quick stop on Cleveland-DC trips, including a school Charter trip around 1970 .Nobody thought of it as a destination stop. Just gas and food ,in a can't miss spot. Corporations may own 3 businesses there and close two .Their Chamber of Commerce should ramp it up on code enforcement, so motorists don't put pedal-to-metal instead of stopping......

We just stopped there last week on our way to Ohio. Walked a few miles of the abandoned Turnpike and checked out the tunnels. Still a nice place for us to stop and stretch on our 9 hour car ride from NJ to Ohio. Would do it again next time we are going that way.

Passed through recently traveling from Pittsburg to DC. Only place in 40 years of travel where I needed to leave one highway to pass through a tourist trap to get to another highway. The subs at the gateway were good.

My trips from Ohio to Washington, DC used to go through Breezewood, PA. I never liked that the stoplights in town interrupting the Interstate traffic. Now I travel on Interstate 68 instead through West Virginia without the unnecessary stops after heading south from Washington, PA then east from Morgantown.

Stopped in Breezewood, PA in the mid 2000's on a road trip. There was a Tesla Supercharger (I think it was) behind a really good family restaurant with a great 'salad bar'. Those were the days before Covid.. Stopped there heading West and on my way back East. Ate at the restaurant. They also had great homemade pies and pastry. Wish I could remember the name. In any case, I've examined google street views and do not see restaurant anywhere? Can't believe how many places have gone out of business. That intersection of Route 76(pa turnpike) Route 70, Route 30 was what made Breezewood a great oasis stop.

This was a stop every year for my former high school's history club trips in the 80's to Williamsburg and Washington DC. We never stayed at a hotel but did shop there. Love the sports memorabilia shop. Glad to see it's still around. Sad to see the decline of the rest of Breezewood however. 😢

Somewhere, in that area, is a portion of an abandoned part of the PA Turnpike, which was a filming location for the movie, “The Road.”

Very cool video! I used to love stopping in Breezewood on trips to VA! I loved eating at Dennys Diner!

I was wanting to move there years ago, glad it never happened.. Was beautiful back in the day..

Wow! What a surreal place.

I remember passing through here to go visit my sister when I was a kid in the 70s.

Every year my mom and I would stop in Breezewood on our trips from NC to IN. The Days Inn was our usual.

😂The vintage pictures you showed....that's the time frame I mostly traveled thru on to Pittsburgh. My dad did not like turnpike, only occasionally jumped on. It used to take 15-20 minutes to get thru most weekend nights.

Its where I go to when I need to stock up on fireworks. Phantom fireworks for when you think you have too many fingers.😊

The gift shop with the animal heads was a very interesting taxidermy museum behind the store in earlier days.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this. Leave it to PA to have the strangest places going. I can't get over those rhino heads on the wall in that place. That's absolutely frightening! This video was inspiring. I may have to write a story that takes place in Breezewood, PA. If I do I'll let you know. 🤣The motels that are just sitting there rotting are truly insane to say the least. Even the terrain surrounding the rest stops is eerie. Once you go past the Bucks County / Philly area things really get wacky.

Good Stuff Ray!

I feel like Breezewood is the Radiator Springs of Pennsylvania. People go through, but nit many stop and stay like they used too.

I am fascinated by abandoned pools, unsure why, I always think of who were the last people in that pool, I know, I’m strange. They remind me of the song “Still life” by Iron Maiden, about demons in a pool beckoning people to join them, at the bottom of the pool, kind of like the Sirens trying to tempt sailors to get closer, than they turned into demons and took their soul. Interesting story.

Sheetz store, I had worked on the installation It was to be a model store. The only one known built of that style fot Sheetz. Around 1996- ish

4:50 it’s a little strange to see the sign still intact when the whole building is demolished. There’s something similar in Ridgefield Park, NJ. Off the highway, there’s a sign of a former restaurant called Gasho of Japan Hibachi Steakhouse.

That place was booming in the mid 90s. Passed through a lot

Nice video! would love to stop by this town one day. seems like theres a lot of cool places to explore!

Bet the food that place sold was GOOD food back in the 40s and 50s.

I’m so upset at seeing this! I’ve been there so many times several years ago, it’s so sad. 😢

I live 45 miles from Breezewood and it used to be a great place. I felt sad when I went through a few years ago.

Back in the 80s there was a huge truck stop and I was in a touring drum and bugle corps. We always stopped there to fill up and the truck stop was almost like a mall. Always packed. 20 years or so later I went back and it was gone.